Chinese outrage over demolition of architect's home

The Beijing courtyard home of the father of modern Chinese architecture has been bulldozed in defiance of a protection order.

The demolition of the late Liang Sicheng's 'siheyuan', or courtyard, has sparked outrage in China, where there is growing awareness of the way much of the country's cultural heritage has been destroyed in the name of development.

The home of Mr Liang, known for his efforts to preserve China's traditional architecture, was designated a permanent cultural relic in 2009, meaning plans to redevelop the site had to be approved by the local government.

However, it was pulled down last week during the Chinese New Year holiday in a transparent attempt to avoid any publicity.

Officials from the Dongcheng district, where the courtyard home was located in one of the dwindling number of Beijing's 'hutong' – the centuries-old lanes that once criss-crossed the Chinese capital – admitted the demolition was not approved. An unidentified representative from Fuheng Real Estate, the property company behind its destruction, claimed the house was knocked down because it was in state of disrepair and "in preparation for maintaining the heritage site".

Campaigners for the preservation of China's cultural heritage were distraught at the historic house being reduced to rubble.

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"When I found the news was true, it broke my heart," said activist Zeng Yizhi. "If Liang's home can be torn down, then developers can do the same thing to hundreds of other ancient houses in the country."

Dongcheng officials have ordered the property developers to rebuild the house, a move condemned by experts.

"Building a replica only makes things worse," said Chen Zhihua, an architecture professor at Tsinghua University and former student of Liang Sicheng.

Mr Liang, who died in 1972, wrote the standard work on traditional Chinese architecture and was one of the international team of architects who designed the UN's headquarters in New York.

In the 1950s, he lobbied for Beijing to be preserved intact while a new city was built nearby as the capital. His plans were rejected by the ruling communist party, and Beijing's city walls and many of its ancient buildings have since disappeared under the wrecking ball.